Page 32 of The Scars of Us

Slowly, she brought her delicate hands down to my neck before applying slight pressure. “Too hard—can’t breathe!” I gasped as I pretended to choke.

Inhaling a sharp breath, she instantly jerked her hands to away as her eyes grew wide. My body rumbled with laughter, and her eyes narrowed as she smacked me on the shoulder. “That’s not funny, Ryker!”

I continued to laugh as Kaiya crossed her arms across her chest again, trying to stifle a smile. Once I stopped, I apologized, “I’m sorry. I was trying to get you to loosen up. I promise I’ll behave. Choke me again.”

The smile she’d been fighting broke through as she leaned over to grab my throat again.I wish she smiled more.She squeezed my neck, bringing my attention back to the exercise. “The first technique I’m going to show you is using your forearm. Bring it up and over, parallel to your chest,” I said, modeling as I talked. “Then, slam it down across their forearms and push. Usually when someone is being choked, the attacker is just out of reach. This move will make them come closer to you, so you can grab them, like this, and force them off you.” I easily tossed her off me onto the mat.

“Yeah, it’s easy for you—I’m lighter than you.” She rolled over and sat up as her eyes looked over my arms. “Plus you have all those muscles. How am I supposed to overpower you? Or any guy for that matter?”

“Let me show you again, and I’ll explain how. Get back on me,” I instructed as I lay back down.

Straddling me again, she closed her hands around my neck.Fuck, I love how she feels on top of me.Images of her riding me, head tipped back and eyes closed as she moaned my name played through my head.

“Ryker?” Kaiya softly spoke, snapping me from my thoughts. Our eyes locked and her lips curved up, drawing my attention to them.Damn, I want to kiss her again.

“Sorry.” I cleared my throat. Bringing my arm up, I braced it against hers. As I pushed against them, I asked, “Feel how your weight is forced to shift when I do this?” When she nodded, I continued, “I’m not pressing that hard, so even if your attacker is stronger, the pressure will still affect their balance and move them close enough for you to grab something.”

Pushing harder, I forced her arms to bend, bringing her closer to me. Our faces were only inches away from each other; I had to stop myself from closing the small gap to touch her lips, wanting to taste her after so long.

Her breath hitched as our gazes met; her eyes always revealed so much, even when she tried to hide everything away. Fear and longing swam in those bright, blue eyes, and I wanted to lose myself in them—in her.

Breaking the haze we were in, she darted her eyes away and hoarsely asked, “What next?”

What were we doing again? Oh, yeah.“You grab anything you can to help you push them off of you—face, shoulder, arm, clothes, anything.”

“And if I can’t get them off?”

“Then, you kick, bite, scratch, punch, whatever. Do everything that you can do to defend yourself. Usually, that will catch your attacker off guard, allowing you to get them off of you,” I stated firmly.

Kaiya squirmed against me, and I realized that my free hand had found her hip. Slowly pulling away, I grazed the tips of my fingers over the skin exposed from her tank top riding up.

Shuddering a shaky breath, she pulled away before dismounting me. I propped myself up on my elbows. “Ready to try?”

“I think so,” she replied. Her tone was unsure, but her eyes held a look of determination.

“We’ll take it slow. Lay down.” When she complied, I continued, “I’m going to get on top of you, okay?”

We locked eyes as she nodded. As I straddled her, I assured, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“I know,” she softly replied with a small smile.

I’m making progress here.

“I’m going to put my hands around your neck now. Do what I just demonstrated to escape, okay?” I studied her face, waiting to make sure she was ready.

She gave me a clipped nod. “Okay.”

I kept my eyes fixed on hers as I gently placed my hands around her neck, applying light pressure. My thumb brushed over the small, raised scar, causing anger to swarm me like a pissed off hive of bees.I’d like to meet the asshole who did this in a dark alley.

Kaiya began to implement the technique from beneath me, but she couldn’t throw me off. After several attempts, she huffed in frustration. “See, I told you that I wouldn’t be able to get you off of me.”

“Remember to use your whole body,” I suggested with a chuckle.

Her eyes furrowed in determination as we attempted the maneuver again. Once she forced my arms to bend, she used her hips to try and vault me off of her while pushing them up into my crotch. My cock began to harden, especially when she started moving side to side, trying to get me off of her.Fuck, how does she do this to me?

Stilling beneath me, Kaiya’s eyes widened, and her creamy skin flushed as she panted heavily. “I’m not doing it right.”

“Oh, you’re doing something right,” I winked.

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